How to buy a house in Switzerland as a foreigner
Here's what you need to know about buying property in Switzerland as an Irish citizen, including prices, where to find, fees and more.
Can I buy a house in Northern Ireland as a citizen of the Republic of Ireland?
If you’re relocating to Northern Ireland for work, study or to live for a while, you may be considering buying a home in the country. Or given recent growth in property prices, maybe you’re looking for an investment property in Northern Ireland to rent out while you remain in Ireland.
This guide walks through how to buy a house in Northern Ireland as an Irish citizen, including the best place to buy a house based on affordability, and the steps you need to take.
Plus we’ll cover how Wise can help you if you live an international lifestyle, own property abroad, or travel often. Use Wise for international transfers with the mid-market rate, and for a powerful multi-currency account which lets you spend and withdraw around the world conveniently.
Property market in Northern Ireland: Is it a good time to buy a house?
The property market in Northern Ireland saw significant growth in 2024, with local reports stating that the year was the busiest for house sales since 2019.¹
This surge in demand has meant that overall house prices in Northern Ireland have increased sharply - between Quarter 4 2023 and Quarter 4 2024 the house price index increased by 9.0% overall², marking a huge year on year change.
So is it a good time to buy a house in Northern Ireland? This depends on your intentions and how you anticipate the market changing in the future. If you’re buying property as an investment with a short term timeframe in mind, the increases in price recently may be off putting. But if you’re thinking long term, or want a property to live in yourself, you may decide this is the ideal time to get into the market.
Ultimately, there’s no right answer here - consider your options carefully and take professional advice if you’re unsure.
Can I buy a house in Northern Ireland as a citizen of the Republic of Ireland?
Yes. You can buy a house in Northern Ireland as an Irish citizen, without restrictions. However, the taxes and fees you pay may vary based on your situation.
For example, stamp duty, which is the major tax on property purchases in the UK, is higher for people buying a second home, or for people who are buying a UK property from abroad. If you live in Ireland, you may find you need to pay a higher amount of stamp duty compared to someone living locally in Northern Ireland.
It’s important to calculate the stamp duty that will apply based on the value of the property you’re planning on purchasing, and your own personal situation, before you get too far along in the process of your purchase. The total cost can be as high as 12% of the purchase cost in some situations - a significant amount of money.
How long does it take to buy a house in Northern Ireland?
Buying a house in Northern Ireland can take 2 or 3 months, which includes time for due diligence checks, and for legal documents to be prepared. This should give you plenty of time to plan your move.
| Read also: Moving to Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland |
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How much does it cost to buy a house in Northern Ireland?
Property prices vary enormously based on the specifics of the property itself, including its location, size and age.
To give a bit of a feel for the costs in Northern Ireland we’ve looked at average costs per square meter for homes in Belfast, compared to Dublin. This data is taken from Numbeo, which aggregates live user feedback about the cost of living in different countries.
| Location | Price per square meter, city center | Price per square meter, outside city center |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin³ | 6,782.79 EUR | 5,388.49 EUR |
| Belfast⁴ | 2,734.98 EUR | 2,179.88 EUR |
*Details correct at time of research, 21st March 2025
As you can see, the average prices in Belfast are significantly lower than Dublin - and you may well find that other locations in Northern Ireland have even cheaper average costs per square meter.
So how does that impact the costs of an average home? According to the latest information from Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the average price for a house in Northern Ireland is £183,259 (around 126,000 EUR) and ranges from £161,050 (about 111,000 EUR) in Mid and East Antrim to £218,157 (around 150,000 EUR) in Lisburn and Castlereagh.
Cheapest places to buy a house in Northern Ireland
As we’ve seen, the statistically cheapest place to buy a house in Northern Ireland is in Mid and East Antrim. Average homes here come in at about 40,000 euros cheaper compared to the most expensive locations in Northern Ireland.
Towns in Mid and East Antrim district include Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. Aside from these locations, other towns in Northern Ireland which are often listed as offering great value for housing include Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon.
Ultimately where presents the best value for you will depend a lot on your needs and preferences - shop around to find the perfect property in Northern Ireland for your situation and requirements.
What are the taxes involved when buying property in Northern Ireland?
Taxes and costs are also important when you’re planning your budget to buy a home in Northern Ireland. There are one-time costs when you buy, plus ongoing taxes to consider. Take professional advice to calculate these costs for your specific circumstance:
- Stamp duty - one-time cost at the point of purchase, on properties over £250,000. Stamp duty rates can vary depending on whether you’re buying a second home, and where you reside⁵
- Legal fees - costs to your solicitor, which can include surveys, searches, and other important checks
- Rate bill - ongoing costs which are calculated by multiplying the value of your home by the domestic rate for your council area.⁶
Buying property abroad? Wise can help moving your money
Buying property in another country is likely to mean making high value, and repeated, international transfers. Before you pay your deposit, or start to cover your Northern Irish mortgage payments, check out Wise to help you manage the costs of overseas payments.
You can send Wise payments to 140+ countries including the UK, with the mid-market exchange rate and low, transparent fees. Simply send from the website or Wise app, and your transfers to UK bank accounts which can arrive quickly or even instantly.⁸ All you need is your phone or smart device.
For those big transfers, it’s good to know that Wise also offers progressive fee discounts if you send more than 20,000 GBP - about 24,000 EUR - either in one payment, or over the course of a month. Wise large value transfer discounts are applied automatically, allowing you to make a simple and secure payment with the mid-market rate and even lower fees.
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How can I find property to buy in Northern Ireland?
Take some time to research property options in Northern Ireland, starting on umbrella websites which host thousands of properties all around the region. You’ll then be able to narrow down your search to a specific town or city, and contact individual agents there to help support your on the ground search.
Some popular real estate websites to start on include:
Checklist for buying property in Northern Ireland ✅
Once you’ve decided to buy a property in Northern Ireland you’ll need to work through some key steps to find your perfect place, and get all the legal paperwork tied up. The process is fairly straightforward - if time consuming. Here are the basic steps you'll take when buying property in Northern Ireland⁷:
- Decide where you would like to buy property, and the property type - you’ll also need to set a budget, which should include the property cost, stamp duty, legal fees and a margin for unexpected costs which may creep in
- Start looking for your ideal home - you can look online, work with agents, get local recommendations, or visit auctions to find a property you fall in love with
- Make an offer on the property you choose - once you’ve decided on a place, you’ll work with an estate agent to agree a sale price. This is also the time to find a local solicitor who can support the legal side of the purchase
- Your solicitor will take care of due diligence checks - at this point you’ll usually also need to pay a deposit which is about 10% of the agreed sale price of the property
- Exchange contracts and get your keys - once all due diligence checks are complete, your solicitor will work with the sellers’ solicitor to agree a date to exchange contracts. On exchange day, use Wise to help you pay the remaining amount for the property, which will be transferred into your name
Buying a property in another country can be daunting, but purchasing a home in Northern Ireland is likely to be fairly straightforward as long as you have a local solicitor to support the legalities.
Sources used:
- BBC - House Prices in Northern Ireland, November 2024
- Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency - house prices
- Numbeo - cost of living Dublin
- Numbeo - cost of living Belfast
- UK government - money helper
- Northern Ireland government - rate bills
- Northern Ireland government information - buying a property
- Transaction speed claimed depends on individual circumstances and may not be available for all transactions.
Photos: K. Mitch Hodge via Unsplash
Sources last checked on date: 21/03/2025
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
